Math
Pythagorean theorem.
Definition
In a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides. This theorem is used to find a missing side length in any right triangle.
Examples
Real-world.
- 1 A right triangle with legs 3 and 4 has hypotenuse √(9 + 16) = 5
- 2 Finding the distance between two points on a coordinate plane using the distance formula, which is derived from the Pythagorean theorem
Key Fact
a² + b² = c², where c is the hypotenuse